999: What's Your Emergency?

17 October 2012

2012 is the 75th anniversary of the 999 emergency telephone number in the UK. But the volume of calls has jumped by 60% in the last generation, with 31 million 999 calls received last year.

Filmed 24/7 with police, fire and ambulance teams in Blackpool over six weeks - and from the moment calls are received - this new 10-part documentary series shows how Britain is changing through the eyes of the emergency services on the front line.

Emergency call centres are the first to respond to our cries for help, making decisions that could be the difference between life and death. The emergency services have become our last hope when there's no-one left to turn to - but they are having to cope with the rising volume of calls and facing tough budget cuts.

Filmed using cameras in the emergency call centres, ambulances, police cars and fire engines, as well as custody suites and on the streets of Blackpool, the series offers unique, unmediated access to every aspect of the work done by the ordinary men and women of the emergency services.

Following strong, humane and engaging characters, the series shows what the 999 staff face every day on our streets - from car crashes and house fires to the fallout from alcohol and drug abuse.

The results are sometimes shocking and thought-provoking, often heart-warming and occasionally very funny as the emergency teams deal with modern Britain at its most raw, vulnerable and challenging.

999: What's Your Emergency? highlights issues that are making headlines in 21st Century Britain - from the emergence of new drugs and the damage caused by alcohol, to the reality of domestic violence, the dysfunctional way that some people bring up their children and the plight of those, from whatever background, who slip through society's safety net.

Blackpool offers a perfect location for the series. Britain's most popular seaside resort, with millions of visitors every year from all walks of life, like any town there are plenty of issues for the emergency services to contend with.

999: What's Your Emergency? continues Channel 4's reputation for making revealing, critically-acclaimed and top-rating documentaries series about Britain's public services, from 24 Hours in A&E and One Born Every Minute to Educating Essex. It is produced by Blast! Films whose recent credits include Channel 4's award-winning ‘Coppers'.